As soon as the submersible hatch closed, Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. He patted the oxygen tank on his back and whispered, "Second Brother, thank goodness you didn't let me down just now."
Nana was checking the system logs, her finger swiping across the control panel. "OX-2 is running normally, and the oxygen supply regulation response time is 15.3 percent faster than the standard value."
"That sounds like a compliment on me for not being late for work." Chen Hao grinned, then turned to look at Karl. "How's your injury?"
Carl lifted the back of his shirt, revealing a light red scratch running across his shoulder blade. "It's just a superficial wound; you don't even need a band-aid."
Susan handed over the disinfectant spray. "Don't overdo it. At least apply a layer of antibacterial agent."
“Next time I’ll wear Iron Shirt when I go into the water.” Karl took the spray, pressed it himself, and hissed, “This stuff is stronger than ice water.”
They rested for less than six hours before the base issued a new mission: to collect geological samples and create a new topographic map at the eastern edge of the trench. This area had never been explored before, and initial sonar scans revealed unusual mineral veins.
As Chen Hao put on his gear, he muttered to himself, "More rocks, rocks, rocks. Can't we just find a gold bar someday?"
“According to historical data, the deep-sea precious metal-rich area is more than 200 kilometers away from the current coordinates,” Nana said. “And the cost of mining is higher than the value of recycling.”
"Can't you just lie to me for a minute?" Chen Hao sighed. "Just let me be happy for five minutes."
“I can be dishonest,” Nana said, looking at him, “but you don’t ask me.”
"Forget it, I still trust my second brother." He patted the oxygen tank. "At least it won't hurt me."
The four people entered the submersible and activated the propulsion system. The seawater slowly engulfed the outer shell, and the lights swept across the rock layers, illuminating a gray-brown cliff.
Just as we entered the target area, a blurry shadow suddenly appeared on the sonar screen.
"Wait a minute." Chen Hao leaned closer to the screen. "What's that?"
Nana brought up the enhanced image. A gigantic silhouette was slowly rising from below, far larger than any creature they had ever seen. It moved slowly, but each flick of its tail sent ripples through the water.
“Compare with all known species in the database,” Nana entered the command. A few seconds later, the result returned: no match.
“It’s neither an electric jellyfish nor a host of the crystal filter bacteria.” She continued her analysis. “It is estimated to be about twelve meters long, with strong muscle tissue and a high-density skeletal structure, suggesting it is an apex predator.”
"The kind that's so advanced it can disassemble a submersible?" Chen Hao asked.
"The possibility exists."
"Then let it not find us."
He immediately ordered the external lights to be turned off and the system to switch to thermal cloaking mode. The new diving suits could reduce body heat radiation, decreasing the probability of being detected. Only the dim light from the control panel remained inside the cabin, illuminating the faces of the four people.
They stopped behind a reef and remained still.
The thing swam even closer.
The shadows on the sonar circled their area again and again.
"Is it looking for us?" Susan whispered.
“Or maybe it’s just passing by.” Chen Hao stared at the screen. “But it’s moving way too slowly.”
Suddenly, Carl's oxygen tank emitted a short alarm.
"What happened?"
“Pressure fluctuation.” Carl checked the readings. “It’s probably because we were swept away by the water flow when we got close.”
Nana quickly connected to the remote monitoring system. "The alarm has been lifted, and oxygen supply is stable. However, the signal may have been picked up by predators."
Before he could finish speaking, the submersible suddenly shuddered.
Everyone gripped the handrails tightly. A beam of light swept across the outside, and a massive tentacle brushed against the outer shell, kicking up a cloud of mud and sand.
"Damn!" Chen Hao nearly jumped up from his seat. "It's made its move!"
“It wasn’t an attack,” Nana said calmly. “It was a tentative contact, similar to a sensory interaction.”
“That was scary enough.” Carl rubbed his back. “If it had been a little more to the left, I would be writing my will in its stomach right now.”
"The key now is how to get out." Chen Hao stared at the sonar. "It's blocking the way outside. If we move, we'll be exposed."
Susan suddenly remembered something. "The jamming buoy is still in the spare compartment, right? The one left over from the last test?"
“There are three more,” Nana confirmed.
“Let one out,” Susan said. “To simulate a heartbeat and body temperature, so it will think that something alive is going in another direction.”
“Okay.” Chen Hao nodded. “A feint attack, a trick passed down from our ancestors.”
Nana operated the robotic arm to push a buoy outside the cabin. A few seconds later, the buoy activated and released a simulated life signal.
The enormous creature did indeed turn and swim towards the signal source.
"Go!" Chen Hao gently pushed the control stick, and the submersible slowly moved backward, hugging the reefs as it retreated towards the safe zone. The three maintained a triangular formation, using the terrain to conceal their tracks and avoid being exposed as a group.
They had just breathed a sigh of relief when Chen Hao suddenly raised his hand to signal a pause.
Ahead, in a crevice in the rocks, a small creature was trapped. It was entirely silvery-white, flat-bodied, and struggling desperately, but the exit was blocked by rubble. Meanwhile, the giant beast was returning from afar.
"That's... food?" Chen Hao's eyes lit up.
“Unknown species.” Nana scanned. “Small in size, with no aggressive features, presumably a social filter feeder.”
“That means it’s edible.” Chen Hao grinned. “It can’t run away, and we can’t go back empty-handed.”
"You're still thinking about that?" Carl's eyes widened. "We just escaped with our lives!"
"It's precisely because we almost lost our lives that we need to bring something back with us," Chen Hao said. "Otherwise, how can we prove that we didn't make a wasted trip?"
“The risk is too high,” Nana warned. “The predator will return to its current position within seven minutes.”
“There’s still time.” Chen Hao looked at her. “Calculate its patrol route and find an opening to strike.”
Nana quickly calculated the water flow velocity, the frequency of biological movement, and the extension limit of the robotic arm. Three seconds later, she said, "The window is only four seconds."
That's enough.
They waited for three minutes.
The giant beast passed by again, swimming towards the direction where the buoy had disappeared.
"Now!" Nana controlled the robotic arm, precisely probing into the crevice in the rock and sealing the small creature inside the sampling chamber. The entire process took less than three seconds.
"That's it." Chen Hao released the control stick. "Return to base."
The submersible changed direction and began to ascend. Behind it, the huge shadow lingered for a moment before finally sinking into deeper waters.
The atmosphere inside the cabin became more relaxed.
Susan turned on the lights in the sampling chamber, and the silvery-white creature swam slowly inside, as if adapting to its new environment.
"It looks pretty decent." Chen Hao leaned closer to look. "It doesn't look like it could survive in the deep sea."
“Appearance alone is not sufficient for judgment,” Nana said. “Further examination of its physiological structure is needed.”
"As long as it's not poison, it's fine."
"It cannot be confirmed at this time."
"Then let's pretend it's not poisonous." Chen Hao leaned back in his seat. "I can eat it when I'm hungry."
Carl checked his back wound and confirmed there were no signs of infection. He picked up his communicator to report the situation, but Chen Hao stopped him.
"Don't report it yet."
"Why?"
"Let's just say we encountered a large creature and were forced to evacuate," Chen Hao chuckled. "As for bringing back a 'snack'... we'll talk about that when we get to the base."
Are you worried the higher-ups won't allow you to bring it?
"It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I want to leave a surprise."
Susan shook her head and laughed. "You really always try to get a bargain wherever you go."
“This isn’t about saving money,” Chen Hao said earnestly. “It’s about maximizing resource utilization.”
Nana is organizing the event log and updating the creature encyclopedia entries. On the screen, the outline of the giant predator is marked as "Unclassified - High Threat," while the small creature is given a temporary number: S-749.
“Why do you think it was trapped alone?” Susan asked.
"They might have gotten separated," Chen Hao guessed. "Or they might have been kicked out."
“Or…” Nana suddenly spoke up, “it was deliberately driven away by the prey.”
"What do you mean?"
"Some predators will drive the group and create chaos in order to catch a lone individual."
"You mean... that big guy is 'herding'?"
"Similar behavioral patterns".
"Will it go there again next time?"
"The probability is relatively high."
Chen Hao stroked his chin, his expression changing.
"Then... can we go again?"
“No,” Susan immediately objected. “Too dangerous.”
"Bring more buoys."
"You treat your life like a consumable?"
“I have my second brother.” Chen Hao patted the oxygen cylinder. “He protects me.”
"Machines can break down too."
"We'll deal with it if it breaks."
Carl interjected, "Next time you go, remember to write your will beforehand."
"I'm not even married yet, why would I write a will?"
“You can write it to my second brother too.”
The cabin was quiet for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.
The submersible passed through the ascending section of the trench, and was still 45 minutes away from the base.
Chen Hao repeatedly checked the images inside the sampling chamber, his smile never fading.
Nana finished archiving the data and turned to look at him.
"what's on your mind?"
"I'm thinking," Chen Hao said, staring at the silvery-white creature, "would it be very tender if cooked?"
Susan rolled her eyes.
Carl took off his headset, leaned against the bulkhead, and said, "Did you guys feel like that big guy... seemed to know which exit we'd come out from?"
No one answered.
The submersible moved forward smoothly, its lights illuminating a stretch of calm sea ahead.
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